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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Romualdez on BPSF Davao City: It's a message of love, not politics 

Romualdez on BPSF Davao City: It's a message of love, not politics 

Published Sep 5, 2024 10:24 am

At A Glance

  • House Speaker Martin Romualdez said the staging of the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) in Davao City was all about sending a message of love.
  • Davao City is the bailiwick of the Duterte family, members of which are critics of the government.

IMG-87087ab7d385b89b921a85b7d3462f87-V.jpgBPSF Davao City (Speaker’s office)



Davao City--No politics, only love for Davao and the rest of Mindanao.

This, in a nutshell, was House Speaker Martin Romualdez's message during the staging of the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) here in this city--practically the inner sanctum of the anti-administration Duterte family.

"Gusto natin ipakita sa Davao City na mahal na mahal po namin kayong lahat. We love you Davao! We love you Mindanao! Kayo po talaga, ay talagang mapakalaking bahagi sa ating pag-iisip para magbibigay sa inyo ng mas magandang buhay," Romualdez said Thursday, Sept. 1 during the kick-pff of the two-day BPSF at the University of Southeastern Philippines gymnasium.

(We want to show Davao City that we love all of you very much. We love you Davao! We love you Mindanao! You truly are a huge part of our thinking so we may give you a better life.)

Romualdez--the top lieutenant of President Marcos, his cousin--spoke about the efforts of the 183 House members who flew in early, losing sleep in the process, just so they could witness the widescale "ayuda" (aid) distribution in what some pundits consider to be enemy territory.

“Nagbalik tayong muli dito para ipabatid ang mensahe ni Pangulong Marcos na mahalaga ang mga taga-Mindanao sa Bagong Pilipinas. No one is left behind. Iyan ang nais ipabatid ng ating mahal na Pangulo sa lahat ng binisita ng BPSF sa ating bansa,” said Romualdez who represented the chief executive at the event.

(We've returned here [in the Davao region] to impart President Marcos' message that Mindanaoans are important to Bagong Pilipinas [New Philippines]. No one is left behind. That's what our beloved President wants to say to all locations visited by BPSF in the country.

“At dahil sa pagkakaisa ng mga opisyal at kawani ng pamahalaan, kasama ang mga miyembro ng Kongreso, muli tayong nakapaghatid ng serbisyo’t tulong sa mga taga-Davao. Isusulong natin ang Bagong Pilipinas na ang lahat ng programa ng gobyerno, nadadama ng bawat Pilipino,” the leader of the 300-plus strong House of Representatives added.

(And thanks to the unity of the officials and workers in government, including the members of Congress, we once again were able to bring government service and assistance to Davao folk. We will promote Bagong Pilipinas, where each Filipino can feel all the programs of government.)

Lending his star power to the event was Romualdez's fellow Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) stalwart, Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr.

Revilla, In his own speech at the BPSF launch, said the event wasn't about politics, but about assisting your countrymen.

According to House Deputy Secretary General Sofonias “Ponyong” P. Gabonada, Jr., a lead official of the BPSF, P1.2 billion was spent for government services and financial assistance to 250,000 beneficiaries, with 38 participating agencies rolling out 57 programs. P1 billion of this amount was in the form of cash aid to indigent citizens.

He said a whopping 150,000 beneficiaries benefited from Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), while 50,000 citizens received cash aid under Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE’s) Tulong Pang-hanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) Program.

True to his moniker, "Mr. Rice", Speaker Romualdez also facilitated the distribution of nearly half a million kilos of rice to various vulnerable sectors here.

The House of Representatives contingent to the BPSF Davao City was led by Speaker Romualdez and Tingog Party-list Reps. Yedda Romualdez and Jude Acidre. DUMPER PTDA Rep. Claudine Diana Bautista-Lim, PBA Party-list Rep. Margarita “Migs” Nograles, and MARINO Party-list Rep. Sandro Gonzalez were co-organizers of the event.

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